Railway trains



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

w; 0'. GRANDELLJr. APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING RAILWAY'TRAINS.No. 275,599. Patented Apr. 10,1883. 7

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. O. GRANDELL, Jr. APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STGPPING RAILWAY TRAINS.No.- 275,599. Patented Apr.'10, 1883.

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w. o. GRANDELL, Jr. V APPARATUS FOR'AUTOMATIGALLY STOPPING RAILWAYTRAINS. N0. 275,599.

' Patented Apr. 10,1883.

W1 TNESSES:

ATTORNEYS- (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

W. O; GRANDELL, .'Jr.-

I APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS.

No. 275,599; Patented App-10, 1883..

LJ Li L! L] l L JWJTNESSE'S: [NVENTOR/ ATTORNEg- I UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

IVILLIAM O. CRANDELL, JR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF T SAMUEL D. STROEIM, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING RAILWAY-TRAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,599, dated April10, 1883.

Application filed February '25, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, WILLIAM (J. ORANDELL,Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in thecounty ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Method and Apparatus for AutomaticallyStopping Railroad-Trains; and I do hereby declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference beingbad to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification,in which.-

Figure 1 is a plan illustrating a single track equipped with myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a double track. Fig. 3 is anelevation of train and track. Fig.4 is a detail perspective. Fig.5 isabroken elevation, showing the contact-plates secured to poles. Fig.6 isa detail section of brush and brushholder. Fig. 7 is an inverted plan ofbrushholder. Fig 8 is a section of a locomotive,

' illustrating the mechanism designed to be applied thereto; and Figs.9, 10, and 11 are elevations of such mechanism in different positions,drawn to an enlarged scale.

My invention has for its object to provide means for automaticallystopping railwaytrains in cases of danger from open drawbridges orswitches, and to prevent collisions.

Incarryin g my invention intoeffect Iplace upon each locomotiveengine abattery or equivalent generator, an electro-magnet, and armature. I alsoprovidea lever, which is in connection with thewhistle, thesteam-inletto the cylinders, and the air-brake lever. One pole of the battery orgenerator makes ground through the wheels of the engine and track. Theother pole leads to a brush on the engine, which is designed to makeground through a contact-plate beside the track. If such ground he made,the circuit is closed on the electromagnet mentioned, and its armatureis attracted. If groundbe not made, the armature is unattracted when theengine passes the contact-plate mentioned. I There. isalso on the enginea' vertically-moving bar or spindle, carryingat its lower end a shoe orwheel designed to ride upon an incline or elevation located inside thetrack. When this shoe or wheel mounts the incline the bar rises, and asdescends. This movement of the bar is effected at the same time that theengine-brush is in contact with the plate already mentioned.

The bar and the armature have latch heads I opposed to each other, sothat they may be engaged or clutched together, and the armature isconnected with the lever which controls the whistle, steam-port, andair-brakes. It ground he made through the engine-brush and itscontact-plate, the armature is attracted while the vertical bar ascendsand descends, and is out of the path of the latter, so thatno engagementof the latch-heads is ett'ected. 1t

ground he not made at the time specified, the

distance there be an open switch or drawbridge. The pole of the batteryon the engine which connects with the brush thereon also hasconnectionwith another; brush on the rear car of the train, which latterbrush gets contact with another plate beside the track, so as to restoreground for the engine brush-plate ot' a following train, as hereinafterspecified. The opening and closing of circuit through the contact-plateon which the engine-brush rubs is accomplished in the following manner:Along the track at each station or at either end of every block ofdivision are located magnets having connection with contact-plates uponwhich the brushes of the engine and rear ear rub in passing. Circuit forthe engine-battery is made by way of the contact-plates, linemagnets,and armatures ot' the latter. In certain positions of the armatures ofthese linemagnets such arm atures make circuit to ground. In anotherposition of said armatures such circuit is broken. In passing a station,it the 9 block ahead be clear, the engine-battery finds a return-circuitby 'way of the ground-circuit, which is broken the moment the enginepasses, or just after it has passed. Such ground remains broken untilthe same train has proceeded two blocks; but just as it passes the thirdstation it restores ground for the first station by closing thebattery-circuit through the rear brush on one of the line-magnets ot'the first station. When there is a switch or draw'bridge on a block,ground for the engine-battery by way of the contact-plate is madethrough or by sneh switch or draw-bridge in such manner that ground isbroken if the switch or draw-bridge be opened, so that no train canenter upon such block without being stopped until such switch ordraw-bridge be closed or in its proper position.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A designates a locomotive-enginecarrying a galvanic battery or other electric generator, (1, and anelectro-magnet, B, with armature I), having hooked end or latch-head b.Said armature is pivoted at its upper end to a lever, 0, havingconnection, as shown, with the whistle, the cylinder steam-port, andalso with the brake appliances, whereby when the armature end of saidlever is drawn down the whistle will be blown, steam cut oil from thecylinders, and the brakes applied. The battery makes ground from oneside or pole through the engine-wheels and railway-track, and from theother pole or side through a brush, ]),on the engine. From the latterpole of battery a wire leads to a brush, D, on the rear car of thetrain.

E represents a vertical rod or bar, adapted to be moved up and down inhearings on the engine. Said rod carries at its lower end a shoe orwheel, 0, and is encircled by a spiral spring, 0, which tends constantlyto hold it down, yet yields to permit its upward movement, ashereinafter described. The upper end of rod E has a latch-head, c, whichis in line with the latch-head b of the armature b when the latter isunattracted by the magnet.

F represents a contact-plate or other couducting-surface on the side ofthe track, on which the brush 1) rubs in passing, and F is anotherplate, on which the rear-car brush D makes like contact. From plate Fcircuit is made to ground, as hereinafter described.

H represents an inclinelocated between the railway-tracks and upon whichthe wheel orshoe c rides in passing, causing the vertical rod E toascend. The wheel or shoe rides on this incline at the same time thatthe brush D is in contact with the plateF. If the enginebattery hasground by way of said plate, said battery is thrown on the magnet B,attracting the armature b and holding it out of the path of thelatch-head on rod E as latter ascends and descends. It follows that ifthe engine-battery get a ground through its brush passing a plate, F,the engine is not stopped. If, however, said battery does not securesuch ground through said brush, the armature bis not attracted andremainsin the path of the latch head of the vertical rod, being engagedthereby when the latter descends, thus drawing down the lever U, causingthe whistle to be blown, steam cut oif from the cylinders, and theair-brakes applied. On the line of wa'y,and adjacent to the plates F F,are the electro-magnets and appliances whereby ground is made andbroken, as shall be now described.

I represents an electro magnet, having an armature, i, withretractingspring i and adjustable front stop, i. The free end of thearmature has a projecting spring, i which makes connection with the stop1, and it has also a back rib, i, one side of which is at right anglesto the armature, the other side being beveled or inclined, as shown.

K represents another electro magnet, arranged transversely with respectto the magnet I, so that its armature K is normally perpendicular to orat right angles with the armature 'i. The armature K is pivotedcentrally or formed with an extension, 7r, havingabeveled end, whichmeets and rests againstthe rib t" on armature i. Said armature K has aretracting spring, k and makes contact at its free end when attracted toor held against its magnet through spring extension 7a with a stop, k

From the plate F there is a circuit to and through magnet I, thence toarmature i, thence to armature K, and thence, when the latter is in itsattracted position, by way of stop it, to ground at or the rails. Thereis also a direct connection between stop t and ground. The line ofrailway to which my improvements are applied is divided into blocks, andat the end of every block a pair of the magnets I K is located. From theplate F adjacent to each pair of magnets a connection leads, as shown,to the second magnet K therefrom, and from said magnet to ground. Theseries of magnets shown are numbered in groups or pairs 1, 2, 3, 4, and5. From the plate F, adjacent to the group 3, a connection leads to themagnet K of group 1. From plate F of group 4 there is a like connectionto magnet K of group 2, and from plateF of group 5 a similar connectionis made with magnet K of group 3. This arrangement is for aninterlocking system but if the interlockingarrangement be not adoptedthe connection may be from the plate F of one group to the magnet of thenext group preceding itfor example, from the plate of group 2 to themagnet of group 1.

The operation is as follows: \Vhen the engine of a train reaches the endof a block or commences its entrance thereto, its brush makes contactwith plate F. The parts being arranged as shown in group 1, theengine-battery obtains a circuit to ground from said plate by way ofmagnet I, armatures i,K, and stop It. Having a ground, said batteryenergizes magnet I and attracts armature 1', thus releasing armature Kfrom engagement with the rib or shoulder i on the back of said armature.The retracting-spring 70 now draws back armature K, breaking circuit atpost It; but before the circuit is broken, armature i has made contactwith stop i and obtained a circuit to ground that way. Consequently theenginebattery has a ground so long as its brush Dis in contact withplate Fand no" stoppage of the train results. As soon as en gine-brushleaves plate F the magnet I becomes'demagnetized erationsj ust describedfor breaking the groundconnection are there repeated. It then proceedsto group 3, finds the same arrangement of parts as was found at group 1,and breaks the ground-connections for plate F and leaves the samebroken. As the rear brush of the train in passing group 3 makes contactwith plate F, and as the latter has connection with and its armature Kattracted until itmeets stop 7r, thus restoring the parts of group 1 totheir normal position, or to that shown for said group in the drawings,making the groundconnection for following trains. This operation iscontinued as the engine proceeds, so that the engine restoresground forthe second block back ofeach block it enters upon. When an armature Kis'attracted, as just described, by the energization of its magnet,itlatches behind the rib t of the armature of the coinpanion magnet Iand maintains ground-circuit through stop [6* after such magnet K isdemagnetized and until the magnet 1 isagain energized. 1

When my improvements are applied to a doubletrack railroad, thearrangements described are duplicated for each track, so that on eachsuch track the blocks will be locked behind a train to prevent one traint'rom'oven taking another and colliding with its rear.

The improvements are also applicable to single tracks, and withoutduplication of the magnets will, by the connections which I shall nowdescribe, ope ate to lock blocks in advance of a moving train, so as toprevent twotrains moving in opposite directions on one track frommeeting upon the same block and track. To

effect this, duplicates of the plates F F, which are indicated by theletters F F, are placed on the side of the track opposite to saidplatesFF. The plates F have connection, as shown, with the magnets I ofthe second group farther on, whilethe plates F have connections with themagnet K of their own groups. Now, a train moving in the direction ofarrow 1 in passing a groupofinagnets and breakinggroundtherefor, asdescribed, breaks the ground which another train two blocks otf, movingin the direction of arrow 2, must needs have in order to proceed. Inlike manner a train moving in the direction of arrow 2, upon enteringblock, breaks ground by energizing the'rTiagnet I two blocks ahead, sothat a train approaching in a contrary directionand seeking ground atsuch station cannot find it, and will be stopped there. Said train(moving in direction of arrow 2) restores ground for the block it passesbyreason of its rear brush completing circuit through plate I and on themagnet of the group pertaining thereto.

The connection between the battery or generator on the engine and therear brush may be made by Way of the train bell-cord or signaling-ropeM, or by way of the air-brake pipes.

To provide for moving the rear brushes to the' different sides of atender orcar, or from one car to another, said brushes may be made withcylindrical heads 01, having springs (1, said heads-d entering and saidsprings bearing against the sides of sockets D provided at either sideand end of car, andin contact with the battery-connections. Below thesesockets are clamping-jaws, which grip the brushstems as shown, and whichmay be readily opened when said brushes are to be removed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a train entering a block orpassing a station automatically arranges matters-so that another trainfollowing cannot get onto said block until all of the first one has leftsuch block and passed into the second one ahead; also, that when a trainpasses into a third block, it restores the original condition of thingsat the first block, so that a train can enter, and proceed upon saidfirst block. This arrangement is repeated on each successive block alongthe line, so'that one train following another can never overtake it, butmust always remain at least one block behind the first. All possibilityof collision between two trains running in the same direction on thesame track is thus avoided.

To prevent a train from running onto an open switch or draw-bridge aheadof it, the circuit from plate F may be to ground by a line, N, stop 7;to a spring, a, and contact 01 and thence to ground 12 The switch N (ordraw-bridge) is connected, as shown, to spring a, and, when open, pushessaid spring away from contact nflbreaking ground. When said switch ordraw-bridge is closed, circuitis also closed by way of spring a andcontact if. Hence a train entering a block cannot obtain ground it' aswitch or draw-bridge on the said block is open, and so cannot proceedon said block until such switch or draw-bridge is closed. Danger fromopen switches is thus avoided.

To prevent collisions on crossing lines, the ground m of the lockadjacent to the crossing may be made through a plug, L, which can beremoved by a switchman before the train crosses, so that another trainreaching such block or station will iind its ground cut or broken,'andmust wait until the same is restored, such restoration not beingeffected until the trainon the crossing track has passed.

7 In making a return-circuit for the battery or generator on a movingtrain I do not confine myself to the use of the ground for such circuit,asthe rails may notalways make good ground-contact. A metallic circuitmaybe ICO IIC

formed to the rails direct by a wire leading from the magnets to therails, and thence to said battery by way of the wheels, axles, c,without changing my invention. By this means ground-connections for themagnets and for the rails are dispensed with, the circuit being metallicfrom the former to the latter without groundin \Vhat I claim as myinvention is 1. A railway provided with two or more magnets and withcontacting devices located beside thetrack at each station or blockthereof, adapted and designed to be operated by a battery or generatoron a passing train, whereby mechanism, substantiall as set forth, isautomatically operated to control the movement of said train as itpasses said stations or blocks, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with two or more magnets at each station or blockalong the line of way of a railroad, of plates located. at each suchstation or block, adapted and designed to contact with brushes on apassing train, to operate mechanism, substantially as set forth,thereon, and thereby to control the movements of said train at suchstations, substantially as shown and described.

3. A railway provided with magnets at each station or block thereof,having interlocking armatures, and with plates or contact-surfaceslocated beside the track at such stations or 1 blocks, designed andadapted to contact with brushes on a passing train, whereby a currentfrom a battery or generator on said train passes to said magnets tooperate the latter and to make and break circuit for said current,substantially as shown and described.

4. A railway having contact-plates located beside the track at. each andevery station along the line of way, and two magnets at each suchstation, provided with interlocking armatures, said magnets being innormally-open circuits, which are closed successively by a passing trainby way of said contact-plates, substantially as set forth.

A railway having two or more magnets located at each and every stationor block, and provided with interlocking arniatures, said magnets havingelectrical connections with one or more contact-surfaces located besidethe track along the line of way, said magnets and surfaces at eachstation being in an open circuit, designed and adapted to be closed by apassing train, and said magnet or magnets energized by a battery locatedon said train, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, on a railway-line, of two series of magnets (one ofeach series) at each and every station or block thereof, one seriesbeing designed and adapted to form circuit successively with a batteryon a passing train by way of a brush located on the engine or front ofsaid train, and the other series being correspondingly energized by saidbattery by way of circuit from a brush on the rear end of the tain,substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a railroad switch or draw-bridge, of anelectric switch in circuit with plate F, having a ground-connection,said parts being arranged substantially as set forth, whereby when therailroad-switch is misplaced from the main track the electric switch isopen and the groundconnection for said plate F is broken, substantiallyas shown and described.

8. A locomotive or train provided with a battery or equivalentgenerator, a front and rear metallic brush, and connections,substantially as described, between said battery or generator and thelast-car brush, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination, with the brush D, of sockets having clamping-jawsconstructed as shown, and designed and adapted to receive and hold saidbrush, substantially as shown and described.

10. In an apparatus for automatically stopping railway-trains in casesofdanger, the combination of the following elements: electromagneticdevices placed at the stations or blocks along the railway, a series ofcontacting-surfaces placed along the road and connected with saidelectromagnetic devices, a series of inclines or elevations adjacent tosaid surfaces, a train provided with an electric generator, metallicbrushes at front and rear in electrical communication with saidgenerator, an electro-magnet with an armature connected by intermediatemechanism with the whistle, cylinders and brake-operating devices ofsaid train orlocomotive, and depending mechanism in line with saidarmature, whereby when said depending mechanism is raised by saidinclines at the stations or blocks it engages with said armature, if thelatter be not moved out of the path of said depending mechanism, therebycausing it to move said lever to shut olf steam to the cylinders, soundthe whistle, and put on the brakes, and it said armature be not in thepath of said depending mechanism it is not engaged by the latter, andthe lever is unaffected by the movement of the depending mechanism.

ll. The combination, with a locomotive or train, of an electro-maguetand armature therefor, a battery or generator, a lever having connectionwith the steam-cylinders ot' the locomotive, steam-whistle, and thebrakes, and which is also connected to said armature, and designed andadapted to be reciproeated or operated by depending mechanism on theengine, which is moved by elevations or inclines placed along the roadway, so that said depending mechanism will rise to and engage with saidarmature and descend, depressing the latter and moving said lever tooperate the whistle, shut off the steam, and put on the brakes, if saidarmature be not moved out of the path of such depending mechanism whenthe locomotive or train arrives at each block or station along the road,substantially as set forth.

12. In combination with a sliding bar carried by a moving train, andmechanism connected to said bar to stop the train, an electro-magnethaving an armature normally aligned with said bar, and an incline orelevating device on the line of way adapted and.

designed to move said sliding bar, substantially as shown and described.

13. In combination with a locomotive, an electro-magnet, a generatortherefor, an armature connected to a lever designed to operate thewhistle, steam cut-off, and brakes, and a sliding bar designed andadapted to be lifted by inclines or elevations along the roadway and todescend and clear said armature or engage therewith accordingly as thelatter is in or out of the path of said sliding bar, substantially asset forth.

14. In an apparatus for automatically stop ping railway-trains atstations or blocks along the line, two or more magnets at each suchblock or station connected with plates located beside the track andadapted to make contact with brushes in circuit with abattery orgenerator on a moving train carrying mechanism for stopping the same,substantially as shown and described.

15. Thecombination,-on arailway-line, of two series of magnets designedand adapted. to have circuit successively with a battery on a movingtrain, the two series of magnets being arranged in pairs withinterlocking armatures, and having connections, substantially asdescribed, whereby when the circuit of the moving battery is closed onone of the magnets ground is made for the remaining magnet,substantially as set forth.

16. The combination, with a railway-line having inclines or elevationsat different points thereon, of an engine carrying a shoe or wheelattached to a bar, which is adapted to move vertically, said enginecarrying also an electric battery or generator, anelectro-magnet incircuit therewith, and an armature attached to a lever which controlsthe steam-whistle, cylinder inlet-ports, and brake appliances, saidbattery having one of its poles connected with the wheels of the engine,the other pole being connected with brushes, and said bar and armaturehaving latch-heads or equivalent devices whereby they are adapted toengage when the bar is moved vertically, if the armature be notsynchronously moved out of the path of said bar, as set forth.

17. The combination, with a railway having at different pointscontapt-plates, which have circuit to ground or track by way of themagnetic devices along the track, of an engine carrying a battery, oneof the poles thereof being connected with rear and front metallicbrushes, which make contact successively at each station or block withtheir respective plates in passing the same, so as to secure completecircuit for such battery in passing, and to leave said circuitincomplete for a following engine or train, substantially as set forth.

18.- In combination with a single-track railway, electromagnetic deviceslocated at either end of every block or section along the line of way,and designed and adapted to be operated by a moving train to opencircuit, and thereby lock both ends of a block entered for the batteryofa following or approaching train, to prevent other trains from enteringsaid block or section at either end thereof until the train on suchblock or section vacates the same, substantially as set forth.

19. The combination, with plates F and F, of magnets I K, havingarmatures i K, stops 1? and k, and connections therefor, substantiallyas set forth.

20. The combination of two electro-magnets, I-K,'having armatures t K,with stops 1' and for said armatures, respectively, and independentground-circuits from said stops, with intermediate connections,substantially as set forth, whereby circuit may be made to groundthrough armatures i K and stop k, or, alternately, when magnet I isenergized, through armature i and stop t", substantially as set forth.

21. The combination, with a single-track railway having electro-magnetsand interlocking a rmatures on the line of way, of two series ofcontact-plates on either side of said track, adapted to complete circuitwith a battery on a moving train, said plates having electricalconnections, substantially as described, with said magnets, whereby atrainmovin g in either direction on said track will operate such magnetsto make and break ground through such magnets and armatures toautomatically control the movement of another train, substantially asset forth.

22. The combination, with plate F and its ground or return connection,of a plug or manual switch at the intersection of two lines, wherebysuch ground-connection may be broken to prevent collisions at crossings,substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this24th day of February, 1882.

WILLIAM C. ORANDELL, JR.

Witnesses:

S. J. VAN STAVOREN, CHAS. F. VAN HORN.

